The closed Central Park footbridge can be fixed without major strengthening, the council says. It hopes to finish by the end of the year, weather permitting.

The listed footbridge between Central Park and Seymour Street can be repaired without major strengthening, Chelmsford City Council says. The bridge has been shut to pedestrians since repairs began in May. The council now hopes to finish the work by the end of the year (Chelmsford City Council, City Life, 21 October 2026).

That end date is not fixed. The council says it depends on the weather and on the level of the River Can over the colder months.

Why the repairs stalled

Work started in early summer with the bridge’s parapets, the ornamental railings along each side. Then contractors reached the underside. The council says the curved beams that hold the bridge up were in “significantly worse” condition than expected.

Work stopped while engineers and surveyors carried out a structural assessment. Their report arrived last week. It found that the work needed is more extensive than first planned, but that the bridge can be repaired without:

  • load testing
  • temporary support structures
  • strengthening works

The council says any of those could have caused “long delays”. A programme for the remaining repairs still has to be agreed and the work commissioned, so the bridge stays shut until then.

The damage comes from water. The council says it has corroded and cracked the concrete.

A 1954 copy of the Stone Bridge

There was a crossing here by 1895, when the Ordnance Survey map shows a bridge over the Can linking Seymour Street and the park. That was a timber bridge. When it fell into disrepair, the council says, it was replaced in 1954 by the present reinforced concrete bridge, which borrows its look from the Stone Bridge of 1791 further east in the city centre.

Historic England listed it at Grade II on 14 December 1978, under the name “Footbridge over River Can, north of and leading to Seymour Street” (Historic England, list entry 1141365). Listing means the repairs have to keep its character, which is part of why the work has needed specialist investigation rather than a straight replacement.

What the council said

Councillor Rose Moore, the cabinet member for a Greener Chelmsford, said: “We recognise that the closure of Seymour Street Bridge has been frustrating, and we want to thank everyone for bearing with us while the necessary investigations have taken place.”

She said the council would “provide an update on reopening as soon as we have more information to share”.

What it means for you

  • The bridge stays closed for now. There is no reopening date, only the hope of finishing by the end of 2026.
  • Use the next bridge along. The council says another crossing is about a minute’s walk away, the bridge behind Virgin Active and Essex County Cricket Club.
  • Expect weather delays. The council links the timetable to the river level over the winter, so a wet season could push it into 2027.
  • Central Park is otherwise open. Our things to do in Chelmsford page lists what is on nearby, and parking in Chelmsford covers the car parks closest to the park.

We will update this page when the council gives a reopening date.

Sources